Enjoy 2 cakes in 1 with this buttery-rich marble loaf cake! Baking a cake in a loaf pan means easy prep and minimal decorating—without sacrificing taste. The chocolate batter is made from the vanilla, so you don’t have to prepare 2 separate batters. And don’t forget the 2-ingredient glossy chocolate ganache topping!
I originally published this recipe in 2022 but recently revisited it and retested it to see if I could improve it. I always like to continue to work on recipes, including ones that have been published and may not have the best reviews.
In the case of this marble loaf cake recipe, some reviewers reported that it was dry or dense, not tall enough, and/or it lacked flavor. When I see a pattern of reviews with concerns over the same thing, my team and I will revisit the recipe and try making various tweaks until we are all confident that we have fixed the issues that readers have been having.
After going back to the test kitchen, I’m proud to announce this marble loaf cake is better than ever! You’ll notice a few ingredient tweaks in the updated recipe, including adding a little baking soda and another egg for extra lift; and we’re swapping the whole milk and sour cream for buttermilk, which adds extra moisture to the cake crumb. Buttermilk saves the day, yet again. The updated recipe is below.
One reader, Jessen, commented: “This marble cake is divine!! I remember trying your recipe before and it was OK, a little dry like you said. This version is excellent! I appreciate your dedication, Sally! ★★★★★“
This New & Improved Marble Loaf Cake Has:
- A lighter, fluffier, more moist texture
- More pure cocoa flavor
- The same rich dark chocolate ganache topping.
If you love homemade marble cake, but don’t need a towering giant with layers of sweet frosting that makes a ton of servings, or if you don’t feel like making the effort to decorate and assemble a layer cake, this easy yet impressive dessert is for you!
(But also, if you DO want that sort of marble cake, try this 3-layer zebra cake, or the 2-layer marble cake in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.)
Key Ingredients You Need for Marble Loaf Cake:
Let me explain some of the most important ingredients you need and why:
- Creamed Butter & Sugar: Like most cake recipes, the wet ingredients start with room-temperature butter and granulated sugar to create a fluffy base. Learn why this step is important in this post on how to cream butter and sugar.
- Buttermilk: A key moisture provider that makes a big difference in the texture of this cake. We strongly recommend using store-bought buttermilk (either full-fat or low-fat), but in a pinch, you can make your own buttermilk substitute with whole milk.
- Cocoa Powder: You need cocoa powder to make your chocolate batter. Remember this post on Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder? In testing this marble loaf cake, we found that using Dutch-processed cocoa made for the best, smoothest-tasting chocolate flavor. I usually use this brand (not working with them, just a fan of the product!).
- Espresso Powder: Just like in chocolate cake, we use espresso powder to enhance and deepen the chocolate flavor—it doesn’t taste like coffee at all. You can find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at your grocery store or online.
Made From 1 Batter
The cake batter follows a simple, familiar process. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then, in a separate bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Pour in the dry ingredients and then, with the mixer running, slowly add the buttermilk.
The chocolate cake is made from the vanilla batter, so you don’t have to prepare two completely separate batters. It’s how I prepare the batters for this zebra marble cake, too. YAY!
Divide the batter into two bowls and add cocoa powder and espresso powder to one. Since we’re adding these dry and bitter ingredients to the chocolate batter, it will dry out the cake. A little warm buttermilk solves that problem. (Warm liquid helps the cocoa and espresso powders bloom/dissolve.) Both the vanilla cake and chocolate cake are so moist.
We did it!
Here’s Exactly How to Swirl the Batters Together
- Spread a thin layer of the plain vanilla batter on the bottom of the pan.
- Layer spoonfuls of each batter on top. Cover bottom vanilla layer with a few spoonfuls of the chocolate batter, then a few spoonfuls of the vanilla batter, then more chocolate batter, then more vanilla batter, and so on until all of the cake batter is used.
- Gently shimmy the pan to level out the batters.
- Using a knife, make rounded horizontal zig-zags from one side of the pan to the other, and then make rounded vertical zig-zags from the top to the bottom. You can also use a toothpick to get a little more intricate with the marbling on top.
2-Ingredient Chocolate Ganache Topping
To top the cake, let’s turn to the wonderful dessert concoction known as ganache. Chocolate ganache is typically made with 1:1 semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, but for this cake I wanted a thicker-style ganache so I reduced the amount of cream. Because there’s less liquid, it’s best to melt these two ingredients together rather than pour the warm cream over the chocolate like we usually do.
Let the ganache thicken for 20 minutes and then pour and spread it over your cake. It’s glorious! It will set into a soft fudge-like consistency after a couple hours, though you can certainly enjoy the cake before that!
Marble loaf cake has built-in beauty with no complicated assembly or decorating skills required. We can all appreciate that!
I hope you enjoy this new and improved version.
Print
Marble Loaf Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 8–10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You’ll love this buttery and moist marble loaf cake because it’s beautiful and impressive without any fancy decorating skills required. The chocolate batter is made from the vanilla, so you don’t have to prepare 2 separate cake batters from scratch.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, 1 Tbsp!)
- 1 cup (240g/ml) buttermilk, at room temperature and divided
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/4 cup (21g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 4-ounce (113g) quality semi-sweet chocolate bar, finely chopped*
- 6 Tablespoons (90g/ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- optional: fresh raspberries and mint sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 1 minute. The mixture may look a bit curdled at this point—that’s OK! Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer to low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (210g/ml) of the buttermilk (reserve remaining 2 Tbsp (30g/ml)). Beat on low speed just until combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- You’ll have about 3–3.5 cups of batter. Transfer a little less than half (just eyeball it, doesn’t need to be perfect) of the batter to another bowl. Warm the reserved 2 Tablespoons of buttermilk in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. Stir the espresso powder into the warm buttermilk until dissolved, then pour it into the bowl that contains slightly less than half of the batter. Sprinkle the cocoa powder over the top, then stir, whisk, or beat on low speed until combined.
- Layer and swirl the batters: Spread a thin layer of the plain vanilla batter in the bottom of your prepared loaf pan. Now you will layer spoonfuls of each batter on top—cover bottom vanilla layer with a few spoonfuls of the chocolate batter, then a few spoonfuls of the vanilla batter, then more chocolate batter, then more vanilla batter, and so on until all of the cake batter is used. Gently shimmy the pan to level out the batters. Using a knife, make rounded horizontal zig-zags from one side of the pan to the other, and then make rounded vertical zig-zags from the top to the bottom.
- Bake for 65–75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. That time is a guideline—all ovens differ, so keep a close eye on the cake after 55 minutes. If the cake is browning too quickly on top before the center is fully baked, loosely tent a sheet of aluminum foil over top of the pan. (I always tent with foil after 30 minutes.)
- Cool the cake in the pan set on a cooling rack for 30 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and place it directly on the rack.
- As the cake cools, make the ganache topping: Place the chocolate and cream in a medium heat-safe bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. (Or use a double boiler if you have one.) Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Stir frequently until chocolate has melted and ganache is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Drizzle or spread topping on cake. Cake is delicious sliced and served slightly warm. The topping sets into a fudge-like consistency after several hours.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store cake (with or without topping) at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Topped or plain cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold. See How to Freeze Cakes for more information.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Dutch-Process Cocoa | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about room-temperature ingredients in baking.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder will not make the cake taste like coffee. Instead, it deepens the chocolate flavor. You can use the same amount of instant coffee (the powder—not coffee grounds) instead of espresso powder if desired.
- Chocolate: Ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high-quality chocolate chips if needed (I prefer Ghirardelli or Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I recommend using pure chocolate baking bars, in either semi-sweet or bittersweet. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands.
- Updated in 2025: The recipe above is new and improved. If you prefer to make the original version, expect a denser, flatter loaf. To make that older version, increase the baking powder to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons and skip the baking soda. Reduce the butter to 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) and sugar to 1 cup (200g). Use 2 eggs. Skip the buttermilk and replace with 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream and 2/3 cup milk (160ml), plus 2 Tbsp milk for the chocolate batter. Follow the same instructions. The bake time is around 1 hour, same oven temperature.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Why are all the edges of my cake hard? I baked at 350, middle top rack. Baked for just 60 minutes covered with foil at 40.
Inside of cake is great but edges just too hard. Do I need to reduce the oven temps? I’m in the Phoenix area
Hi Dee, are you using an especially dark pan? Darker pans can cause baked goods to bake faster on the outsides, which could be causing the harder “crust” here. You can certainly try reducing the temperature a bit (keeping in mind that the bake time will be longer) or covering with foil sooner. Hope this helps for next time!
If I only have natural cocoa and not Dutch processed cocoa, is there anything I should add to the recipe to ensure it comes out similar?
Hi Daanielle, you can certainly try what you have, but when testing this marble loaf cake, we found that using Dutch-processed cocoa made for the best, smoothest-tasting chocolate flavor.
Hi! Can you email me the old recipe for this marble cake? I liked that one a bit better.
Hi Ila, see recipe Notes for the old recipe. Thank you!
There’s no mention of oil in the recipe notes.
The recipe never had oil, Ila! The Notes detail the older version of this recipe.
Just made this marble loaf today for my family weekly Sunday dinner. My 4 year old granddaughter did the “swirling”. It came out great, everyone loved it. Thank you Sally and staff. I am a big fan of yours. Where can I leave comments about your new cookbook recipes? I just got it and already tried a recipe.
A beautiful cake, my family loved it
This was a lovely recipe. Beautifully marbled , moist and tender. Lovely chocolate flavor and not overly sweet. The raspberry topped ganache was the perfect finish. I loosely covered it with foil for the last 10 mins to prevent it browning too much. The recipe has already been requested by friends… it’s a keeper!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!
Hmm. The taste was great, but the texture was on the stodgy side. Since I thought the loaf would be sweet enough without the ganache, I did leave it off: that was a good call — it let the flavors of the cake itself shine.
Hello!
I love your recipes! Unfortunately I would recommend baking at 325 because at 350 mine was pretty dark and still not done in the center! The taste and texture is amazing though!
I baked this 5 min less than suggested and it came out a bit dry. I have used other quick recipes from Sally and they turn out great. Is there something about this one that caused dryness?
Hi Jayne, We’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over measured, which can dry out your cake. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may also be helpful to review. Thank you for giving this recipe a try and for making and trusting all of our recipes!
I tried this cake and like all your recipes it tasted heavenly. Thank you so much. When I sliced it, it crumbled up a lot though and when I removed the cake from the pan, a little bit of it stuck to the bottom even- What could I have done incorrectly? Otherwise it was amazing.
Hi Aditi! If the cake crumbled, it sounds like it could have been overbaked, especially if it stuck to the pan, too. Be sure to generously great the pan as well for an ultra non-stick environment. We’re glad you still enjoyed the cake!
I have been wondering about the reasoning behind a number of recipes’ calling for buttermilk. And I remember learning a sour milk chocolate cake recipe from my mom; that substitution for buttermilk was eye-opening. Your explanation was really helpful, as was your explanation of the differences between and different uses for natural and dutch process cocoas. There is always more to learn! Thank you.
Love this cake ! Light soft and great taste.
Only issue was cocoa part overtook the vanilla as looked liked mostly chocolate was not marbled.
Hi Sally! Can I substitute 50g of the white sugar with light brown sugar? I always like the caramel note brown sugar gives.
And another question: does the cake keep moist for more than two days? I see the recipe doesn’t use oil, so I was wondering if the cake doesn’t dry out a bit after the first day.
Hi Camila, we did quite a bit of recipe testing (and retesting!) for this marble loaf cake and found that butter is really best here so that it can be creamed with the sugar for the base of the cake. It’s wonderfully soft and moist, even without oil. It stays well at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It shouldn’t be a problem to use some brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar. We hope you’ll give it a try!
How can I make this cake a chocolate orange marble cake
Hi Mary, you could try adding some orange zest or orange extract to the vanilla cake batter. We’d caution against adding orange juice, as you’d need a bit to detect the flavor and you don’t want to add too much liquid to the batter. Let us know if you try anything!
Hi Sally! the result would change a lot if i use milk instead of water?
Hi Kaori! Do you mean using water instead of buttermilk? I do not recommend it. Stick with buttermilk.
I have tried your recipe and it came out really nice
Hi from Egypt
Can you use a glass loaf pan for this marble loaf cake?
You can certainly use a glass loaf pan here. Same temperature, but baking time may be a few minutes longer. Keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy this cake!
I made this recipe unaltered and it came out perfect. I was delish!
Can I omit the coffee?
Hi Wanda! Just like in chocolate cake, we use espresso powder to enhance and deepen the chocolate flavor—it doesn’t taste like coffee at all. You can leave it out if needed.
Does it have to be Dutch-process cocoa powder or would natural unsweetened cocoa powder work, too?
Hi Gabby, In testing this marble loaf cake, we found that using Dutch-processed cocoa made for the best, smoothest-tasting chocolate flavor.
What does “rounded vertical zig-zags” mean? Could you include a video clip or something to clearly explain?
Hi E, there is a video halfway down this page just above the actual recipe. You’ll see how we make the swirls there!
The marble cake is divine!! I remember trying your recipe before and it was OK, a little dry like you said. This version is excellent! I appreciate your dedications Sally!
I made this marble loaf cake and it turned out almost too dry. I’ve been making Sally’s recipes for years and they never disappoint, so I was very excited to try this updated marble loaf cake. I followed the recipe explicitly.
Any help is appreciated.
Gratefully,
Cindy
Hi Cindy! We’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over measured, which can dry out your cake. Was the cake over baked by chance? That can also be the culprit for dry cakes. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may also be helpful to review. Thank you for giving this recipe a try and for making and trusting all of our recipes!
Can I have a link to the old recipe?!? It was my children’s favorite cake
Hi Elizabeth, so glad it was a favorite! See Notes after the recipe for details on the old recipe.
Hi. What could I substitute for thr buttermilk? Thank you
Hi Marilyn, If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a DIY buttermilk substitute. See recipe notes for more details.
Hi Sally!
I just want to ask you the size of the pan of loaf cake?
Hi Emilia! 9×5 inch.
How can I make ganache in microwave!
Hi Linda, The microwave doesn’t evenly warm the cream and chocolate like the stove does, so we strongly recommend the stove method outlined in the instructions.
Thank you, Sally, as always!
Is there any way to make the ganache nondairy? If so, how? Or could a glaze be used on top instead?
Thank you!
Hi Brenda, canned full fat coconut cream (shake it up well first!) is a great 1:1 substitute for the heavy cream.
Hi! Can I use self raising flour instead please if I run out of plain flour?
Hi LDewi, we don’t recommend using self rising flour in this recipe. It would take additional recipe testing to ensure accurate results.
Can I use Cake Flour or would I be changing the texture?
I don’t recommend cake flour for this recipe because the crumb (and slices) will be too flimsy. You’ll likely have to adjust the wet ingredients as well. All-purpose is best for this particular recipe.
This looks delicious and as though it will be easy to put together. Have you ever made it with gluten free flour?
Hi Jenny! No, I haven’t. Let me know if you test it!